If you are a competing in a stroke play competition and you, your caddie or your equipment touch another player’s ball, there is no penalty and if the ball is moved it must be replaced (Rule 18-4). This means that there is no breach of the Rules if you lift another player’s ball to identify it, even if neither of you had marked it first. But I am always uneasy when I see this happen. If I am searching for a ball and find one in the rough I will try and read the branding, number and identifying marks without touching it. If the ball is lying in such a position that this is not possible, I then call over the player whose ball it might be and let them mark and identify their ball. I then meet my obligation to all the other competitors in the competition by witnessing that it is replaced in the same lie that it had before it was touched.

In match play, there is no penalty if a player, their caddie or their equipment moves, touches, or causes their opponent’s ball to move while they are searching for it. Rule 18-3a. However, if a match play player’s ball is moved other than during search the opponent who moved the ball does incur a penalty of one stroke (Rule 18-3b). In either case, if the ball is moved it must be replaced.

Then we have the circumstance where a player has played another player’s ball by mistake. You should be aware that playing a wrong ball incurs a penalty of two strokes in stroke play, or loss of hole in match play, and that any strokes made with the wrong ball do not count in the player’s score. But did you know that if the wrong ball belongs to another player only they may place a ball on the spot from which their ball was first played? The relevant words in Rule 15-3b are;

“If the wrong ball belongs to another competitor, its owner must place a ball on the spot from which the wrong ball was first played.”

Finally, there are occasions when to save time players will mark another player’s ball on the putting green because it lies close to a line of putt. Strictly speaking, the player should obtain authorisation from the owner of the ball before they mark and lift it. However, as has previously been noted, there is no penalty in stroke play for touching another player’s ball so this courtesy is often overlooked. But there is a penalty for the same action in match play. Decision 20-1/2 confirms that a player who marks and lifts his opponent’s ball on the putting green without authorisation incurs a penalty of one stroke.

Q. In a match between A and B, B, without A's authority, marked the position of, and lifted, A's ball on the putting green. Is B subject to penalty?A. Yes. Under Rule 20-1, a player's ball may be lifted by his opponent only with the authority of the player. Since B was not entitled to lift A's ball, B incurred a penalty stroke — Rule 18-3b.

Good golfing,

Barry Rhodes

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12 comments:

Some more clarification on mistakenly taking a stroke at the wrong ball please. In this case, a competitor's ball in stroke play.

This is what happened in a recent round. Please let me know if the correct procedure was followed.

My golfing buddy and I teed off on a blind par 5 hole and the balls came to lie near each other in the fairway. Assuming that my buddy outdrove me (he usually does) I played the ball further from the hole which I assumed was my ball. When he took a look the remaining ball, we discovered that it was my ball and I had played the wrong ball.

We identified the spot where I had played the wrong ball and he placed a substitute ball there and played it.

We now moved up to where my ball lie and I played it. I was now lying four on this hole:

- 1 stroke from the tee- 2 stroke penalty for making a stroke at a wrong ball- 1 stroke from the fairway

Barry - this is connected to an earlier point made. In a stroke play competition player B marks and lifts (with permission) player A's ball on the putting green. Must player B replace the ball or may she give it to Player A to replace?ThanksSue

Hi Barry, recently in a stableford competition, Player A moves and marks Player B's ball as he deems it interfering with his play. He did not ask permission. I assume there is no penalty even though player B was denied the opportunity to play first?Paul

You are correct. Whilst it is a courtesy to ask a fellow competitor if you can mark and lift their ball, because it is interfering, there is no penalty for not doing so. It is now a common occurrence in those Clubs where 'ready golf' is advocated.

What about accidentally moving another player's marker? My fellow competitor marked his ball which was near my line of putt. He used a magnetic marker. The marker was not seated and may have interfered with my putt. I tapped it down with my putter (an infraction itself?). Of course, the magnetic marker stuck to the bottom of my putter and returned with me to my ball. I sheepishly replaced the marker. Clearly my friend incurs no penalty. Do I?

Recently during a stroke play round player A marked player Bs ball on the green without permission and threw it to the side. Player B wasn't aware that this had happened and played the ball from the spot where it now lay on the green (nearer to the hole). After the ball had been played player A advised player B that she had played from the wrong place. Player B then played the ball from the original place. Do either of the players get any penalty strokes??

Decision 15-3b/3 rules on this situation. No penalty was incurred by either player.

As B did not know that A had lifted her ball she could not be penaliszed for playing a wrong ball. If she became aware of the mistake before playing from the next tee, she was required to replace her ball on the correct spot, without penalty, and complete the hole. If she learned of the mistake after playing from the next tee, the score with the wrong ball would stand and there would be no penalty.

During a 2 man scramble match play, one of the opponents caddy wrongfully picked up my partners ball which is still in play as we have not yet selected the ball to play. Do our opponent loose the hole, or do they incur any penalty?

Scramble match play is not a format that is recognised by the Rules of Golf. However, in the absence of any Condition of Competition relating to the circumstance that you describe, it is my opinion that the player incurred a penalty of one stroke for purposely touching an opponent's ball in play (not loss of hole), the ball must be replaced and the decision on which ball to play can then be made. Rule 18-3b is the appropriate Rule in standard match play.

About Me

Barry is the author of ‘999 Updated Questions on the Rules of Golf 2012-2015’, the easiest and most enjoyable way to absorb and understand the Rules.
He is an enthusiastic, high handicap golfer, resident in Dublin, Ireland, who developed an interest, then a fascination, and now an obsession with the Rules of Golf. Barry’s relationship with the Rules began in 2000 with his participation in the inter-club Rules of Golf quiz competitions, organised by the Royal & Ancient for Golf Clubs in Great Britain and Ireland. This then led to him writing articles, running quizzes, and delivering presentations on the Rules at a variety of Golf Club and corporate functions.
In March 2008, Barry became the first person to achieve a 100% correct mark on the public Advanced Rules of Golf Course examination, run by the PGA in their headquarters at The Belfry, West Midlands, UK, and in April 2015, Barry received a ‘pass with distinction’ in the R&A’s Level 3, Tournament Administrators and Referees School examination, the highest certification awarded.
Having blogged since December 2008 Barry hopes that you will check out some of his previous blogs by clicking on the months/years above.